Vitamin Combo May Protect Kidney Disease

A healthy dose of vitamins may be a valuable tool in lowering urinary albumin excretion rates in people with type 2 diabetes. Unveiled at this year’s August meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, a recent Danish study found that taking large daily doses of vitamins C and E significantly reduced short-term levels of albumin excretion in the urine (Diabetologia, Vol. 43, Suppl. 1, p. A36).

The study examined 30 type 2 patients with urinary albumin excretion levels of between 30 and 300 Âµg/mg, well above the 18 Âµg/mg that can mark the beginning of potential problems. The patients were placed on a either a regimen of 1250 mg of vitamin C and 680 IU of vitamin E, or a placebo alternative for a period of eight weeks. For the eight weeks leading up to the study, the subjects were taken off their usual ACE inhibitors, antioxidants and vitamins. The actual course of treatment was four weeks long.

In the subjects taking the combined doses of vitamins E and C urinary albumin excretion rates dropped 19%. Fasting plasma concentrations of both vitamins also increased, although no changes were seen in s-creatinine, HbA1c or blood pressure levels. The researchers concluded that the treatment shows great promise, at least for short-term treatment of high urinary albumin excretion levels, and stated that further studies are warranted.

Diabetes Health Medical Disclaimer
The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained on or available through this website is for general information purposes only. Opinions expressed here are the opinions of writers, contributors, and commentators, and are not necessarily those of Diabetes Health. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website.